Between the Two
by Scottie2
Summary: Interaction between the High King and his sister the Queen, before and after the elder goes to battle. PeterSusan


**Between the Two**

_Y siento  
Algo en ti algo entre los dos  
Que me hace insistir  
Cuando miro en tus pupilas se que Dios no dejo de existir_

- En Tus Pupilas

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"How long will it take?" The Gentle Queen's voice echoed in the great library where she and the rest of the royal family typically met for discussion.

Peter sighed. "I don't know Su. I mean I'm afraid they have the upper hand. We're not used to invasions by sea, you know."

His sister, with her maternal tendencies, was always concerned when the High King or any of the family went to do battle, no matter the circumstances.

"However, this looks to be the last remnant of the witch's army," Peter explained matter-of-factly. "The fact that they've gone and holed themselves up on Muil is a sign they're on their last leg. Don't worry Su, I'll be home in no time."

His sister frowned, looking deep in thought. She turned to look outside a nearby window, as if she could see her brother's future destination. "It's a good 6 days journey to the Seven Isles, if the wind is fair," she reasoned. "And the weather has been lovely lately. Once you get there the battles and resulting recovery of Muil will take a good 4 to 5 days, depending on the circumstances."

Peter nodded. "News from Redhaven tells us that their forces are ready to join ours. Everything is set for a quick victory."

"Right," she said, not missing a step, "and then a good 6 days back to Cair Paravel. That's 17 days." Susan sighed. "I suppose Lucy won't be going?'

Peter loved how his sister's logical thought mixed with her gentle nature. Here she was analyzing all that she could, and yet her final stop laid on his safety.

"Of course not, no need to involve Lucy or Ed. _Or_ Lucy's cordial, for that matter. It will be a simple battle." The King knew that Susan preferred to have the magical healing power of Lucy's diamond cordial at hand in every battle, just in case. Peter on the other hand, focused on the fact that the contents of the bottle would not last forever. He specifically asked Lucy to use it in only the direst of circumstances.

The beautiful Queen smiled, sheepishly. "Of course. I'm sorry, you know how these things bother me."

Peter gave her a warm smile. He strode over to where she stood; the view outside the window was beautiful but easily eclipsed by his sister's loveliness. The High King wrapped his arms around the Queen in an embrace that was more than brotherly.

"I love you," she whispered into his ear.

"16 days," he replied.

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"Sire, Cair Paravel is in sight!"

Peter dashed out of his cabin at the sounds of these words and ran towards a higher spot on deck where he could properly see the magnificent castle. A refreshing wind complimented the uplifted spirits of all those on board.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" asked the captain of the ship, a centaur by the name of Marius. He stood by Peter, admiring the view of their home.

The distance was great but Peter thought he could see a woman, dark haired, standing on one of the balconies.

"Yes," he replied. "Yes she is."

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II

"You don't have to do this, you know."

Susan gave her brother a questioning look. "Do what?" she asked.

Peter smiled, one of those smiles that always made her smile in return. "This," he said, pointing at the remains of the dinner she had made for him. "It's always so good, Su, but that's because you put so much effort into it. And, there's no reason why you should waste this on me."

Susan smirked. Her brother would say the same thing nearly every time she prepared something for him. "I make dinner for Edmund and Lucy too, you know. When they come home from battle," she replied, beginning to clean up after their meal.

"Not every time." The King watched as his sister cleaned and put away the empty dishes. "You do this for me _every_ time I come home."

"You're welcome," she replied, with a small laugh.

Peter shook his head, fighting off a smirk. "Su, you know, I'm trying to be serious here." He approached where she was working and took her hand. "Why do you love me?"

His sister, turning while he asked this, kissed him almost before the words left his lips. Serious now, she put a hand on his shoulder. "Because you are worth every minute that goes into preparing this for you, because somehow cleaning these dishes has purpose, because if you didn't come home…" the words flew from her mouth but ended just as abruptly as they began.

She recovered, "That's the silliest question I've ever heard."

"Well," Peter noted, "You were the one that wouldn't be serious."

II

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"Well, what's it like?"

Two arrows found their ways to two adjacent targets.

"Nice shot Ed!" Peter exclaimed. The two Kings were rivaled only by one another in their fighting skills, although in archery Susan put both to shame. "I think that's enough for today."

Edmund nodded and sat down for a breather. "You haven't answered my question," he noted.

Peter joined him alongside. "Well, it's hard to answer a question like that. I mean, I suppose right now I feel like Christmas Eve." He ignored the weird look from his brother and continued, "The night before Christmas, you've got all these thoughts in you head. You know that the next morning is going to be just glorious and perfect, all the presents and festivities and all that."

The High King stood up, stretched, and began to pack the archery equipment for the short trip back to the castle. "But the thing is, right now is Christmas _Eve_. So, it's the most wonderful feeling anticipating all these great things but it's also the most painful thing because you can't have them just yet and for some reason no matter what you do you can't fall asleep."

Edmund smiled.

"I feel like a mess, but it's a good one."

"You certainly look like a mess," his brother teased. "I hope I never fall in love."

Peter laughed at this. "Well, Ed, in some ways I don't envy you. Whenever one of those wankers comes by I just can't stand it. Makes me feel like I'm no High King, just a kid from Finchley." He scowled. "It's terrible."

Edmund grew pensive. "I wouldn't worry. She doesn't look at those suitors like she looks at you." His comment calmed Peter. Edmund was already known for his just decisions and wise counsel, and it seemed like nothing got passed him nowadays. If anyone could make such an observation, it would be him.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

The two began their journey home.

"How can you tell?" asked the elder brother.

"It's kind of more obvious to me now, actually," said Edmund, with a smirk. "You should see Susan the day before you come home from battle."

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A/N: This fic took a lot of effort, and time really helped refine it. I actually poured through the Voyage of the Dawn Treader to find accurate time/distance measurements for the first conversation between Peter and Susan. Please let me know what you think!

My (personal) translation of the Spanish lyrics is as follows: "And I feel something in you, something between the two (of us), that makes me insist. When I look in the pupils of your eyes, I know God hasn't stopped existing."


End file.
